Mommy's Little Shadow
by Kazi-Kun
Summary: As the child of Cyberon, Hotaru has problems: Mystique's after her because of blood, the X Men want her because of family, but What does Magneto want from her?
1. Chapter 1

X-Men: Evolution/Sailor Moon

"Mommy's Little Shadow"

It was pretty late when Hotaru got home. Haruka and Michiru were asleep on the couch, snuggled close together. Setsuna was washing the dishes from dinner and luckily for Hotaru, didn't hear the Silent Warrior come in. She was way passed curfew but it hadn't been her fault. Her ankle was sprained so she was having trouble taking the leap she needed to land on her balcony. It had forced her to go through the front door.

She carefully snuck upstairs and slipped into her room. She sat on her bed and pulled off her thigh high socks. Her right ankle was sprained and so was her left, now that she had time to inspect it. Both of her knees were going to need to be wrapped, as were her wrists. Hotaru couldn't believe what damage had been done.

With a sigh, Hotaru pulled on her socks again and flopped on to her bed for a moment. She'd have to recreate a reverse transformation to let the others know she was back. She could either release the energy and really do damage to herself or she could just say it was a slow night…she had better release the energy.

Hotaru relaxed and created a lavender spark above her body. She made it grow from a glowing pinprick to the same size as an American Dime. Then she let the little spark of light pop like a soap bubble, showering her in lavender sparkles, healing her sprains. This spark was a handy little trick Kakyuu taught her. It was called a Healing Light Bubble. It released just enough energy to heal minor wounds and to be mistaken as a detransformation.

_Now, that they know I'm home, I'm free to get ready for bed._ Hotaru thought getting off her bed. She headed to her vanity, taking the pins out of her hair. Her long black silky mane glided gracefully down her back from its twisted bun. She took out her headband and brushed her hair idly as she sat down at her vanity.

"You always were the only one of you three who were ever able to see in the dark." Hotaru looked in the mirror shocked and then stood, looking behind her.

"You! What are you doing here!" Hotaru demanded in a soft voice.

"Is that anyway to treat your mother?" The intruder asked with a laugh as she stepped closer to Hotaru.

"You're not my mother, not anymore." The Silent Soldier said icily. "Leave me be."

"Don't you miss your brother and sister?" The woman asked getting closer. Hotaru backed up against her vanity.

"Stay away from me." Hotaru warned. The woman reached to touch her but Hotaru closed her eyes and she disappeared through the floor. She was afraid she'd crash on the titled hallway and bust something but someone with strong arms caught her easily.

"You must be careful when you use your powers, Sheri." A voice said with a Louisiana accent. Hotaru looked at who had caught her as he set her on her feet. "The name's Gambit, Mademoiselle. What is your name?"

"Let go of me!" Hotaru went through his arms and turned to run down the hall. She skidded to a halt as a teen with white hair appeared before her.

"What's the rush, Shadow?" He asked with a smirk. Hotaru heard Gambit shift behind her.

"Leave her alone, QuickSilver. She's coming with us, with Magneto." Gambit told the white haired teen.

"What does my father want with her?" QuickSilver asked. Hotaru looked back at Gambit as he drew a few cards-playing cards.

The cards began to glow. "Come over here, Sheri. I'll protect you from the Brotherhood."

"I don't need anyone's protection!" Hotaru snapped crossing her arms. She closed her eyes and went through the floor. She landed on her feet in a crouch. She looked around the ghostly remains of her late father's laboratory. Everything was in ruins. Hotaru felt the cold of the darkness of her father's betrayal. Her father had been betrayed when he met her mother and his love for Hotaru made him do everything to keep her alive. The cold, freezing underworld was what all that was left of the man's depressed and slowly freezing heart.

Silently, Hotaru walked through the ruins, shivering. It just wasn't the cold of the lifeless cavern-it was the traces of evil that still resided inside.

"Pap? Papa, it's Hotaru. Are you down here?" Hotaru called out. "Papa? Are you even awake? If you've fallen asleep at your microscope again-I'm ending the world, here and now!"

Her voice echoed in the abyss. She was hoping her father's computers would at least still be active. Hearing her voice was all they would need to turn on and check on her father for her…wait, was that whirring of a generator coming to life?

With a shuddering creak, a sliding metal door opened, revealing a lit passageway. Cautiously, Hotaru walked to the passage way and timidly stepped inside. The door closed behind her, sealing her in.

"Not boding on the good side…" Hotaru mumbled to herself a little scared.

"**There's no need to be afraid, Sweet Pea."**

"Papa, is that you?" Hotaru asked turning around. A young man in his 20's stood behind her in some sort of armor with his white hair in a short ponytail with closely buzzed sides.

"**In a manner. This is what I looked like when I met an American and a Pole named Charles Xavier and Erik Magnus Lensier. I am a mutant."** Her father's young form replied. **"I, Soichi Hiroto Tomoe, am a Homo Sapien Superior Mutanus-a mutant. The mutant Cyberon. I have powers to make technology that's far in the future. The very technology that keeps your body alive and moving."**

Hotaru walked forward and cupped his face in her hands. "Papa, I can't believe it's you. I can touch you."

"**Only because of the holographic projector I created for this very day. Come on, Sweet Pea. I have something to show you."** The young Soichi Tomoe took her hands in his as he walked backwards. A door behind him opened, revealing a chamber full of lit panels. **"Welcome to the very place I discovered and monitored your mutations. And I created this suit for you."**

He stepped aside to show her something in a case. Hotaru looked at him then at the case. "Is that really for me?"

"**Absolutely. Go on, put it on. I've got to pack all this up for you. I can't leave it here. The hag I unfortunately married would do anything to get this place because it's all keyed to locating and protecting you. Once it goes on lock down-only you can open it."** Her Holo Father said turning his back to give Hotaru some privacy. Hotaru took off her clothing and opened the case. She quickly got dressed in the suit he had designed. **"Are you done? Sweet Pea?"**

He turned seeing his daughter in her new suit. "Well, how do I look?"

"**Look for yourself. There's a mirror over there."** Hotaru stepped in front of the mirror and took a good look at herself. She looked like a shadow, like her powers: black stiletto knee high boots with purple armor on her calves and knees, thin black nylons under fishnets, a black tank top dress with a short skirt and slits up the sides, purple armor on her bust and upper back, long black false sleeves on her arms and purple armor on her forearms, elbows and shoulders. **"What do you think, Sweet Pea?"**

"Wow…I'm…" Hotaru murmured as her Holo Father came up behind her. He pulled some of her hair back and put it in a high semi ponytail. Then he put a black choker on her neck and long black earrings on her ears.

"**You look beautiful but you can make yourself look darker."** He told her softly. **"Your powers allow you to change your body. Just concentrate and your appearance will change."**

She closed her eyes and felt power slip over her eyes, lips and hands. She opened her eyes and saw the black lipstick, eyeliner and eye shadow. Her nails were purple like her armor.

"I can't believe this." The Silent Warrior replied to her hologram father. He put a belt on her hips and then stepped away. Hotaru looked at the buckle. "An 'X'? What does it stand for?"

"It's the symbol of the 'X-Men'. It was a group Charles and I started. I never was one to take the lead so Charles stepped up to be the leader. The 'X' if from 'Xavier'. I want you to go to him in America. He'll protect you and he will train you. You will be in a place with your half brother and your stepsister. Both have joined him. Why not complete the set?"

"I don't want to leave you-even this form of you behind. You're my father-mutant pixels or not!" Hotaru told him, turning around to face him. "So how do I shrink this place? Because you're coming with me. I need you."

"**Over 7 years with out a father…it obviously took it's toll on you."** The holographic mutant noted. **"Fine. Just relax and Shade through the walls. I'll reduce this place to fit on your belt."**

The room began to fold up itself and began to shrink. Hotaru closed her eyes and felt everything pass through her body. She opened her eyes and watched it fold up to about the size of a Razor cell phone. Hotaru picked it up and attached it to her belt. She felt a flare of Uranian power, alerting Hotaru to a fight going on above ground. Hotaru closed her eyes and felt herself rise like a twirling wisp of smoke.


	2. Chapter 2

"Mystique and Magneto have appeared at a home in Tokyo, Japan."

Xavier looked at Ororo bewildered. "Did you say 'Tokyo, Japan'?"

"Is there a problem, Professor?" Jean asked surprised by the professor's reaction.

"I have an old friend who lives in Tokyo with his daughter. He's the mutant Cyberon." The Professor answered. "Is Logan checking into it?"

"No, Rogue and Kurt took him, Scott, Kitty, Warren and Alex in the chopper." Storm explained, shaking her head. "Kurt said something about his younger sister."

"Oh, no-Mystique's after Cyberon's daughter."

0-0-0

"Are you sure you now where you're going?"

"Yes, we're sure we know where we're going." Rogue shot back at Kitty. "Kurt an' I have been to her place loads of times."

"Wait until you taste her cooking! It's vünderbar!" Kurt grinned. "She is amazing in the kitchen!"

Rogue laughed a little. "Yeah, but she didn't start out that way. She's really improved."

"Uh, who are you talking about?" Scott asked, a tad on the clueless side.

"Her name's Hotaru but that's not who she really is." Rogue answered the co-pilot.

"If this is a wild goose chase-" Logan began but Warren cut him off.

"Are you talking about that girl you two have been writing to? The one who sends you care packages from Japan?" Angel asked the pair sitting ahead of him. "Hasn't she called you a couple times?"

"Jah!" NightCrawler smiled, turning around to face the winged man. "Wait until you meet her. She's the perfect lady! And she's a mutant. She's younger than us but she already has her Ph.D."

Kitty looked at him surprised. "And she's a freshman?"

"Japanese schools are different. She's a first year in high school." Logan told her. "But a Ph.D?"

"Yeah, a Ph.D. Hotaru's really smart." Rogue nodded to the pilot. "She reads none stop. It doesn't help that her father was Professor Tomoe."

"Professor Tomoe? Isn't he the authority on Super Human Genetics?" Warren asked.

"Yeah, that's the problem." Rogue answered. "Her body is unique. If Mystique gets her with the Brotherhood, Hotaru's father's secrets could end up on the black market."

That made everyone but Rogue and NightCrawler uneasy. Just thinking about the how-many ways Mystique could really mess the world with information like that made Scott feel sick to his stomach. Alex looked at his brother pale a little under his visor.

"Uh, hey, Kurt-Dude." Alex called up to the teleporter. "Is it really necessary to be in our suits? I mean, won't she be expecting normal kids?"

"Mystique's already there." Kurt growled with venom at the thought. "We'll need to be ready to save our sister. Hotaru's not going with her at any cost."

An alarm went off as a boulder barely missed the chopper. Logan jerked hard on the controls, dodging more flying rocks.

"Looks like Blob's having fun." Kitty groaned after hitting her head on the seat in front of her.

"Hang on, we're going down hard." Scott took over the landing, parking the chopper in the street in front of a Victorian style mansion. There was an uncomfortable bump of contact as an earth tremor shook the whirly-bird. "Everybody out!"

The X-Men half-tumbled out of the chopper and charged into battle. Winds, waves and garnet lights added to the chaos of battle as 3 well-known Sailor Scouts came out of the Mansion's gates, coming after Colossus and SaberTooth.

"Neptune! Where's our sister!" Rogue called out to the sea wielding Senshi.

"We have no idea!" Sailor Neptune called back. _"NEPTUNE DEEP SURMERGE!"_

"Hotaru! Hotaru!" Kurt teleported through out the battlefield, looking for the girl. A swirling mass of shadow in the middle of a fight between Toad and Alex made the two boys separate by jumping backwards. "Hotaru, where are you?"

"I'm right here, Kurt." Hotaru's ghostly voice told him as the shadows formed a female body with her long hair in a high ponytail. The form opened her eyes, revealing solid purple. The form had a curvy figure and a delicate grace as she floated in the air above the ground. "I seem to have another mutant power…"

"An' you're comin' with us!" Toad leapt forward, passing through the shadowy form of Hotaru's body. Alex dodged the now sprawled Toad and looked up at her curiously as long shadowy bangs floated idly in the air. Her body bobbed a little making her hair look like she was underwater. "Man, how'd she do that?"

Alex offered her a hand. "I don't think she knows how to reverse it yet. I know how bad that can be. I'm Alex Summers-Havoc. Scott's my big bro. Come with us. We're the X-Men."

Hotaru's eyes closed as she backed up a little in the air. "Nice try, Mystique. Havoc's over there by Cyclops. Your shadow gives you away."

Changing back to her real form, the shape shifter smirked. "You're really my little girl. Now come with Mother." She grabbed Hotaru's shadow wrist, only to get shocked by purple electricity. "How could you hurt your own mother?"

"I don't know how I did that…" Hotaru looked at her hands in amazement. "I'm not even sure how I got like this..." She looked over at Kurt who was perched in a near by tree. "Nii-san, what's happening to me?"

"I don't know, Hotaru." Kurt shook his head. He teleported and appeared beside her. "Come on, go to the chopper. We'll handle these guys."

She shook her head. "I'm the daughter of an X-Man. I'm going to fight as well."

SaberTooth and Wolverine came flying through her, scattering her body temporarily. The pair of mortal enemies wrestled around, trying to kill each other. As soon as Hotaru reformed, she shivered a little.

"That was creepy. I'm not used to being scattered like that." She mumbled to Kurt. The blue mutant flashed her a smile before he leapt into the fray. Hotaru took off in to the air, climbing slowly to give aid to Arc Angel. Warren stopped scanning the ground and looked at her with a shocked, kind of love struck look.

"You must be 'Shadow'. I'm Arc Angel." Warren greeted with a half smile. Hotaru blew him a cute shadowy kiss, creating a cute little shadow kiss mark in the air with a wink that created a small purple heart by her eye. She closed her eyes and lightly melted away in to a thin shadow that twisted down to earth to trap Pyro who was messing with Avalanche and Rogue. "Wow. She was cute."

Reforming in front of Pyro, Hotaru crossed her arms and hovered in front of him.

"Lay of my onee-san, match boy." She ordered. Pyro flamed her with a cackle, which died down as the fire kindled itself in to nothing. Hotaru cocked an invisible eyebrow at him, looking unimpressed. She leaded over, her eyes narrowing. Pyro gave her a nervous, scared smile then bolted with a girlish scream of terror. "Now I'm really unimpressed." She heard someone crumple behind her. She turned around fearful for Rogue. "Onee-san? Are you alright?"

"Yeah, I'm fine." Rogue gave her a smile, pulling her glove back on. "I think you made Pyro wet his suit."

"Hm?" Hotaru looked down at the puddle. There was a sharp whistle getting the sisters' attention. Scott waved at them with a half smile. "I have a feeling that's the kerosene from his tanks, compliments of our one-eyed sharpshooter."

Rogue started laughed as Hotaru jerked her shadow thumb over at Scott.

"AH!" A bolt hit Hotaru from behind, crashing her into the ground. Rogue glared at Scarlet Witch who looked pleased with herself from a moment. Rogue's anger caused a massive tremor that knocked everyone on the ground over. When the shaking subsided, Rogue ran to Hotaru's side.

"Hey, lil' sis, wake up." Rogue half begged shaking her a tad. "Come on, Bug. Don't do this to us. Kurt an' I just found you last year. We can't lose you now." Hotaru let out a soft groan but other than that, she did nothing. "Cyclops! She needs medical attention!"

"X-Men, regroup!" Scott called out. The team of hero mutants ran for the chopper as Warren landed by Rogue and scooped up Hotaru's limp shadowy form. "Back to base!"

They all piled in to their seats with Hotaru on a sick bed, strapped down. Mystique got off the ground and glared at the fleeing aircraft. She clenched her hands in to fists.

"Mark my words, _X-Men_. I will not let my youngest child follow Xavier like her father did. She will be with me. I'll kill anyone who stands in my way of doing it."


	3. Chapter 3

Henry "Hank" McCoy was checking the vitals of a very unique mutant as she floated in a tank of highly advanced syntho liquid that Professor Charles Xavier had on hand from Cyberon. She had arrived in a shadowy form that was beautiful, dark and powerful. She was immediately laid inside the tank as soon as Xavier had it pulled out of cold storage. As soon as she was inside, the tank closed and it filled with the greenish liquid, letting her float suspended. She had burns and wounds from other battles that were being mended by little robots the size of quarters that were crawling over her skin like spiders on their community web.

Hank had to admit that this girl was very durable. She had numerous injuries inside her body that would've kill a normal person. Those were being mended by nanites via thin black cables that were literally attached to her very skin. Cyberon had really gone all out for this girl, for Shadow, their newest addition. Beast was glad her real form had returned. It made it easier to treat her. It also made it easier to identify her.

From all of the conferences Cyberon, Professor Tomoe, had held and all the books he had written, all of them revolved around the care he had given to his only child, his daughter Hotaru. He had lectured and written about everything from the antibiotics he made her when she was sick to the bio organic carbonite steel alloy implants on his child's skeleton. Hank had attended all of his conferences, lectures and he had all of the professor's books. Hank was a big fan of the Father of Advanced Understanding.

The tank began to rise to be taller than Beast with nanite glass sides as the cables pulled away from her unmarred skin. Hotaru's eyes slowly open as she blinked a few times before swimming to sit up. The cyber bots on her torso created an unique suit for her. It was sleeveless with a high collar and no legs. It resembled a swimsuit. It was entirely black and form fitting, being like a second skin but with support.

Beast put his hand against the glass, getting Hotaru to mimic him. Despite the glass, Hank felt a shock of electricity that made him remove his hand and inspect his palm. Hotaru pushed away from the glass, creating shadows to darken the syntho liquid like an octopus would with ink. He felt guilty for his reaction. He gently tapped the glass with a knuckle.

"Miss Tomoe, forgive me. I'm afraid I wasn't expecting to get an electric surge." Beast apologized. "My name is Henry-Hank McCoy. I'm a mutant, just like you. They call me 'Beast' because of the way I look and of the way I fight and get around. Come on…I'm not going to hurt you. Let me see you how you're healing up."

The shadows slowly retreated, revealing Hotaru and her hair twisting all around her. She looked beautiful. It was if she was a dark mermaid captured from the sea. Beast had to back up as the tank grew to be wide and tall enough for her to literally swim around it like a pool. Hotaru's skin grew translucent scales up and down her arms and legs in patches. Webbing extended between her fingers and toes, giving her fins of some kind.

"Your mutant abilities must be affected by your senshi abilities." Hotaru looked at him a little surprised. "Your father, Professor Tomoe, kept lots of notes on your life as Sailor Saturn. Rogue and Kurt don't know, I take it?"

She looked away and swam to a different part of the tank. Hank took that as a big 'no'. He watched Hotaru swim around like a fish in an aquarium. The lab doors opened, permitting Scott inside. He was in civilian clothes but that didn't matter.

"How's our Shadow doing?" Scott asked coming up to the tank. "Wasn't this the same size as a coffin earlier?"

"It was but it grew, obviously." Beast commented as Scott was in awe at the swimming beauty. "Close your mouth, Cyclops. You're going to catch flies."

Cyclops pointed at Hotaru as she swam with a twist. "Is she really patched up and are those lavender _scales_ on her skin?"

Beast patted his back. "Hotaru's unique, Scott. She's adapted to this liquid pretty fast, growing webbing and scales. She's been swimming around like this for the past 10-15 minutes. What can I do for you, Scott?"

"The Professor wanted to know if she was alright. Her powers are blocking his telepathic connection with you." Cyclops explained, not taking his eyes off Hotaru. She swam up to the glass and put her hands against it to keep herself in one spot. "She seems like she's fully healed but wouldn't the liquid drain if she was?"

"It would've, yes." Beast told him, his back to the teenager and mermaid. Scott put one of his hands against the glass, over one of Hotaru's. A slight electric surge pulse into Scott's flesh.

"_You're one of the X-Men that came to my rescue with Onee-san and Nii-san."_ Hotaru's voice filtered into his brain, mixing around with his thoughts. _"Thank you…what's your name?"_

"Scott Summers, 'Cyclops'." He answered her aloud. "I have an optic laser that makes it hard for me to look at someone without blowing their heads off."

"_Ruby quarts sunglasses, filter lenses and contacts for emergencies."_ Hotaru replied with a smile. _"My father designed some things like those for one of his colleagues several years ago. I have the plans on disk."_

"Hotaru, do you know where you are?" Scott asked, worried. He knew what it felt like to wake up in an unknown place.

"_Yes. I'm in America. The secret base of the X-Men."_ Hotaru answered as she glanced at Beast. _"McCoy-san's looking at you like you've lost your mind, Summers-san."_

Hotaru pushed away from the glass, darkening the water again. Hank came over to Scott and looked at the teen.

"I'm not losing my mind! She was talking to me." Scott said defensively before Beast could say anything.

"Feeling guilty, Cyclops?"


	4. Chapter 4

"I'm not so sure about this, Onee-san."

Rogue smiled at Hotaru as she carefully took her wrist. "Come on, 'Taru. It's gonna be just fine. Just avoid the Brotherhood, the football team and the assistant Principal Kelly. They're out to get us for sure."

Hotaru's borrowed tennis shoes tapped the ground as she tried to keep up with Rogue. The older girl's strides were hard for Hotaru to keep up with in a jean mini skirt she borrowed from Amara. Her vintage tee under the dark gray hoody sweatshirt was from Kitty and the sweatshirt was from Jubilee. All of her clothes were way too dressy for an American public school and thus left Hotaru with only one option: borrowing clothes from Rogue's fellow lady mutants.

"But, Onee-san-I'm a transfer student and I'm from a foreign country. They're not going to like me." Hotaru told Rogue as they hustled up the front steps. He long hair was in pigtails tied with a couple ribbons Ororo had given her and they followed her as Rogue led her through thin paths between gathered groups of kids. "And it's way too different. I'm going to slip up and start talking in Japanese. You know that happens when I'm nervous. I can't keep my mind in English when I'm scared."

"If you slip up then we'll have the Professor hard wire your brain for English." Her older sister replied, taking Hotaru to get her schedule. "An' Kurt slips all the time, talkin' in German. Nobody really cares, 'Taru."

Hotaru let out a groan as Rogue made her speed up on their way to the office. It was too early and she was suffering from Jet Lag. It had been 3 days since she woke up in the lab and the flight had finally caught up with her. Hotaru had to share a room with Jean Grey, who didn't trust her. Jean's cold attitude towards her made Hotaru return to her tank to sleep in. Hank was thankful for her company but he wished she could fit in better.

"But, Onee-san-!" Hotaru's words were cut short as Rogue suddenly stopped and she crashed into the older girl's back. "Ow…why'd you stop?"

"Can you turn other people into shadow too?" Rogue whispered to her little sister.

"I have no idea. Logan-san's only given me single run courses." Hotaru admitted, looking around Rogue to see a large boy with a blond Mohawk waddling towards them. "Isn't that that Brotherhood mutant…what's his name-oh, yeah-Blob?"

Rogue nodded as she backed up, making Hotaru back up. "You gotta get us outta here, 'Taru. Kurt'll be in the basement by now. You gotta hurry."

Hotaru clutched her sister's shoulder and squeezed her eyes shut. Their shadows darkened and pooled together. Rogue looked back for a moment before looking back to the approaching Blob. They were slowly sinking into the floor.

" 'Taru-hurry it up!" Rogue hissed.

"I'm going as fast as I can! I've never done this with someone else before!" Hotaru told her with a slight whimper. "I can't be sure how it'll all end up!"

"Just drop us through!" Her older sister snapped. Hotaru panicked and the two sisters suddenly dropped through the shadow pool. Below them, Kurt and a couple of the other X-Men were hiding in the basement room. Rogue landed on Kurt and Bobby while Hotaru landed in the arms of Alex and Jason.

"I tried to warn you, Onee-san." Hotaru whimpered as she was set on her feet. "Arigato, Havoc-san. Arigato, Bezerker-san."

Alex looked up at the ceiling as Jason supported a dizzy Shadow.

"What happened?" Alex asked, looking back at Hotaru. Rogue got off NightCrawler and Iceman. "How'd you get through the ceiling?"

"Rogue made her take another person through the floor, ja?" Kurt looked at his little sister who nodded.

Rogue dusted herself off. "Blob was comin' at us slowly, but he was B-linin' for us. We had to get outta there."

"But Wolverine said Shadow's not supposed to use her new powers on anyone until she practices with him first." Bezerker pointed out. "That was a dangerous stunt, Rogue. What if you had gotten stuck?"

"We didn't obviously." The Southern Goth-punk shot at them. Rogue's anger made Hotaru duck behind Jason for safety. He could feel her electric "safety switch" seep into his skin through his sleeveless flannel and t-shirt.

"Rogue, you're scaring her." Berzerker warned. "I'm getting a power up an' I can tell you-she's scared."

Kurt walked over to his little sister and took her hand. "Come on, Hotaru. Let's get you to your first class before the Professor gets a call."


	5. Chapter 5

Sitting on the edge of her tank, Hotaru inspected the Razor cell sized silver tablet in her hand. Since she got to Xavier's, she had tried everything to open it. Nothing had worked. A tray rose beside her and Hotaru set the compressed lab on the surface. She slipped off the ledge and into the liquid. Scales and fins grew as soon as she fully submerged herself underwater.

Hotaru swam around her tank, remembering the past hour she had spent on homework. Jean had totally denied Hotaru the familiarity of a study group because of the incident earlier that morning. It wasn't Hotaru's fault, since Rogue had pushed her to do it but only Jean said that Hotaru and Rogue could've chosen another way. She didn't snap at Rogue or come down hard on the absorbent touch mutant. No. Jean came down on the out of place Shadow and had completely made Hotaru wish she was back in Japan, fighting Pharaoh 90 again.

Tapping on the side of her tank got Hotaru's attention. Scott stood by her tank looking a little embarrassed. Hotaru swam to the top and lifted herself half way out, her scales, fins and gills melting back into her skin.

"Can I help you, Summers-san? Or are you going to blame me for this morning like Grey-san?"

Scott sighed and rubbed the back of his neck. "Jean's…she's used to being the special one. She's always had the Professor's undivided attention when she needed it. And when you came, you started getting that attention."

Hotaru pushed her wet hair out of her face. "Hey, I never asked to be Sailor Saturn _or_ the Gatekeeper of Silence _or_ the Messiah _or_ a Mutant. My Saturian DNA makes my life a living nightmare. If Little Miss Gold Star Jean Grey wants to be in the Goddamn intergalactic spotlight-she can have it! I'm sick and tired of always being the one everyone hates because I'm the goodness of the darkest Powers That Be, okay? If Jean Grey wants to be the Light of Chaos, then she can be a sick red eyed King Purest Evil's favorite little doll."

She dropped back into the syntho liquid, causing a big enough splash to soak Scott below her. Cyclops wrung his sweater out as Hotaru filled the liquid with dark shadows.

"None of us asked to be a mutant either, Hotaru." Scott called out to Shadow. "Sure, life's hard but it's not like we'll live forever."

Hotaru lifted herself out yet again and this time she wasn't too happy. She was about to say something when Cyberon appeared beside her, balancing on the balls of his feet in a crouch.

"**Is there a specific reason you're picking on my daughter, Cyclops?"** He asked, looking a little peeved. **"If not, then get lost. My little girl isn't normal. She's never had a real choice in her destiny and your 'friend' Jean Grey isn't helping. If she yells at my child one more time-she's not waking up from Dreamland anytime soon."**

Scott blinked at the living hologram behind his sunglasses. He had heard about Cyberon but only Hotaru had seen him since the X-Men were first established.

"Papa, I can take care of myself." Hotaru mumbled, looking a little sheepish.

"**I know you can take care of yourself, Sweet Pea. It still doesn't change the fact that you're too sensitive of a soul to be continually snapped at."** Cyberon fatherly brushed wet hair out of his daughter's face. **"It's almost as bad as living with Kaori Knight again. Now go relax at the bottom of the tank, Lovely. I'll go see Charles and tell him to curb that…_Alsamorian_ upstairs."**

"Papa! They may not know my language but still-watch your tongue!" Hotaru chided with a little shock. Her father looked at her and stood.

"**Are you correcting your elders, Sweet Pea?"** He asked, crossing his arms.

Hotaru let a smirk grace her lips. "Ah, but that's the glory of not knowing your own age."

She dropped back into the liquid with barely a splash. Cyberon sighed, muttering something about Hotaru and never dying. He stepped off the tank and landed on the floor, in a crouch. He grabbed Scott's upper arm and dragged him out of the lab.

"Come along, Cyclops. You're not going to stay down here with her where I cannot supervised her safety. Call it a father's curse."


	6. Chapter 6

"Come on, Kid! Come on, come on, come on! Let's go, let's go!"

Logan watched Hotaru run along side Kitty as they phased through barrier after barrier. Kitty remained solid but Hotaru was bursting into shadows and back into form. They were racing through the course, mainly to get Hotaru's mutant powers to second nature. Wolverine wasn't at all happy with Rogue's stunt earlier that day-or Jean's treatment of the poor girl. It was hard enough to get the Japanese girl to stop fidgeting long enough for him to get his instructions across, in Japanese of course.

"Hurry up! Faster! Faster! You're a mutant! You need to be fast! You need to react when danger comes! Let's go! Faster! Faster!" Logan barked as Hotaru passed through the last wall. She dove into the water with Whirlpool and swam in scales and fins. She got out after several moments and started to change into a large black cat, racing with Wolfsbane. "Come on! I know you're faster than that! Show these spoiled brats up! You're a warrior! Prove it!"

From the large black cat to dodging blasts from the other X-Men, Hotaru preformed every task amazingly well. The girl slid passed Iceman and Beserker before reaching her goal, Arc Angel. She shifted into her shadow form and flew upward, trying to beat the winged boy to the buzzer on the ceiling. Hotaru and Warren were flying neck to neck until-

**BZZZZZZ!**

Hotaru and Warren each had a hand on the now red lit buzzer. Hotaru began to shift back into her human form and let Warren pull her against him. He carried her down to the floor, a blush on her cheeks. Hotaru scampered to hide behind Jason and Bobby.

"You beat your last time." Wolverine told her walking over to the bashful girl. "Nice, but tomorrow-you beat the bird."

"H-hai, Logan-sensei." Hotaru nodded once, not looking at anyone until her blush went away. Kurt appeared in front of Hotaru, causing her let out a short scream of surprise. "Nii-san! Don't do that! I don't want a heart attack!"

"Sorry, 'Taru, but Professor Xavier would like to see you." NightCrawler apologized. He took his sister's hand. "I'll take you there. Hang on tight."


	7. Chapter 7

Finally, I got this section done! I might have David Xavier and Lucas come to battle the guys who are crushin' on 'Taru. Hey, I just might do that.

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Kurt teleported her into Xavier's office where the telepath was sitting behind his desk, waiting for her.

"Thank you, Kurt. I'll take it from here." Kurt nodded and gave his sister a kiss on the cheek before disappearing in a sulfur cloud. "Please, Hotaru, have a seat."

"Is there something wrong, Professor Xavier?" Hotaru took a seat in front of his desk, wondering what the wheel-chair resident wanted. "Did I do something against the rules? If I did, I'm really sorry! Miss Grey was going too fast and her mind was conflicting with her aura and I was getting mixed messages! I just copied English from Nii-san, l-like you taught me to and his English isn't complete, s-s-so…"

Xavier held up his hand. "I understand that you and Jean aren't getting along as well as I had hoped. I had thought she would've taken you under her wing like she had with the other new female mutants. This conflict was not foreseen."

Hotaru bowed her head. "I'm sorry, Professor. I've tried-really I have. It's just, Miss Grey doesn't seem to like me."

"I'm afraid your father picked up on that." Xavier nodded once. "He dragged Scott up here and told me in holographic person."

"Papa's just a little protective of me because I'm all that's left of the man he used to be." The Silent Senshi told the bald psychic. "Keiko Tomoe was a real person at one time. Mystique took her place for the 9 plus months I was a baby. She let Keiko take her proper place just a few years before she died. I maybe her biological daughter but she's no mother of mine."

Xavier knew the look on her face. She despised Mystique and even the fact that she was her daughter. Sharing genetics was bad enough for the girl sitting in front of Xavier.

"Hotaru, why don't you came with me?" Xavier came out from behind his desk. "I have a surprise for you."

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Yup, cliffie. Don't tell me to update soon cuz my computer's down. 


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